


What's In A Name

by mousieartist



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Names, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousieartist/pseuds/mousieartist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Stop with the –chan.”</p><p>“Ne, Haru. Can I ask you something?”</p><p>“What?"</p><p>“Why don’t you like being called Haru-chan?” </p><p>Haru and Makoto discuss Haru's dislike of his name, and come to some unexpected conclusions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's In A Name

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of this fic idea the other day and decided to write it out (since I can't seem to write for my other fic * nervous laughter*)
> 
> I LOVE the name Haruka. It's my favorite Japanese name, for either boys or girls. When I found out Haru's name was Haruka, it made me love him even more than I already did! And I'm pretty sure Makoto loves the name Haruka too!
> 
> This isn't related to my other multi-chap fic, but it might be part of a series of makoharu oneshots in the future. We'll see how it goes. I also made references to High! Speed and included some of my own personal head-canons for the boys' past.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading!

It was Saturday evening, and Makoto’s parents were invited to dinner with friends. They wouldn’t be home until very late, leaving Makoto in charge of watching over the twins, as usual. It’s not that Makoto minded babysitting his younger siblings. He didn’t mind, or he didn’t used to mind it that much, that is until he started dating Haru. Weekends were special in that he could spend the night at Haru’s house without any protests from his parents about it being a school night. And even though Haru was coming over to help with the twins, like he usually would, Makoto knew they wouldn’t have much time alone. And Makoto was _very_ certain that nothing terribly exciting was going to happen tonight anyway. The twins could never be trusted, and Makoto was never going to give them the chance to catch him and his boyfriend in a compromising position. But he didn’t mind. A night with Haru and the twins was just as good as a night with Haru alone, and Makoto would get that too once the twins fell asleep.

The long-awaited sounds of simultaneous ‘goodnight!’s and the door to the twins’ bedroom clicking shut finally came, and Makoto almost clicked his heels as he quickly made his way down the hall to where Haru was waiting for him in his bedroom. As expected, the twins occupied all of teenage boys’ time throughout the evening with games and movies. But now it would be just Makoto and Haru, and even though the twins tired out later than Makoto had hoped, he and Haru still had a couple hours of quality alone time before they too would have to go to sleep.

Makoto walked into the room to find Haru lain across his bed, perusing a book Makoto had been reading recently. Shocking blue eyes shot up to Makoto as he entered, and Makoto could hear the unspoken _Hurry up and come here_ Haru’s eyes said. Makoto ungracefully dropped onto the bed and on top of his smaller boyfriend, causing Haru to yelp and Makoto to laugh at the cute noise.

“Get off!” Haru grunted, obviously embarrassed by his earlier sound.

“But Haru-chan is so comfy,” Makoto whined.

“You’re heavy,” Haru said, sounding a little out of breath. His concern for Haru’s well-being finally made Makoto roll off of him and onto the right side of the bed.

“Haru-chan is so mean,” Makoto teased. Haru just glared at him. Makoto laughed and Haru went back to checking out the book. Makoto watched Haru as he read, and eventually reached out his right hand to brush the hair out of Haru’s face so he could get a better view of his boyfriend’s pretty blue eyes.

“Is it good?” Haru asked about the book, not taking his eyes up from it.

“Yeah, I like it,” Makoto answered. “You can borrow it when I’m done. If you don’t finish reading it tonight, that is.”

Haru shut the book and reached over Makoto to put it back where he found it on the nightstand, and Makoto took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Haru and hold him in a tight hug.

“Oi,-” Haru started.

“Thanks for helping out with the twins today.”

Haru huffed and looked away, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“What?” Makoto inquired, lifting a hand to caress Haru’s face.

“You always say that.”

“It’s because I’m grateful.”

“I know, but I always do it.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t thank you for it.”

“But you don’t have to.”

“You could have said no when I asked you to help out.”

“I’d never say no,” Haru said with an air of finality, and rested his head in the crook of Makoto’s neck.

“Mmmm,” Makoto intoned, and then placing a kiss on Haru’s head said: “I love you, Haru-chan.”

This time Makoto could feel the air leaving Haru’s nostrils when he huffed, and braced himself for the ever constant line that Makoto has come to both love and hate.

“Stop with the –chan.”

Makoto was tired enough to find it funny, and he tried hard not to laugh at his clearly unamused boyfriend. But Haru was right on top of him and could feel the tremors Makoto was trying to quell. Haru pouted and started to push himself off of Makoto, but Makoto only tightened his hold on Haru.

“Ne, Haru,” Makoto began. “Can I ask you something?”

“What?” Haru answered, still a little annoyed.

“Why don’t you like being called Haru-chan?” Makoto was always a little puzzled at why Haru never liked the nickname. He didn’t mind it so much when they were children, but when they were 10 Haru started requesting to be called just plain ‘Haru.’ It was hard for Makoto to break the suffix out of his system, and he still called Haru ‘Haru-chan’ by accident, much to Haru’s annoyance. But ever since they started dating, sometimes Makoto would call him Haru-chan on purpose when they were in private, mostly because it made Haru blush. Rin told Makoto he was a sadist because of that.

“Because it’s a name for kids.”

“Is that the only reason?”

Haru turned his head to the side. Makoto, patient as ever, waited for his answer.

“…It sounds girly,” Haru said quietly, pouting a little.

“I don’t think so,” Makoto assured him. “At least, not as girly as Haruka.”

Haru bristled at the mention of his given name, and Makoto almost laughed out again at Haru’s dismayed expression. Makoto _never_ called Haru by his first name. Nobody called Haru by his first name. It was different than when Rei or Gou called him Haruka-senpai, or if anyone called him Haruka with a suffix. Just Haruka by itself was probably too intimate, too personal for Haru. Haru had made it very clear that he would never speak to Makoto ever again if he called Haru ‘Haruka.’ Makoto didn’t think that still stood, at least he hoped not, and wondered if maybe he pushed his luck too much.

Haru stared wide-eyed at Makoto for what seemed like eternity, and Makoto was starting to get worried. He was about to apologize when Haru came back to Earth, his eyes going back to their normal size as he looked away from Makoto and down at the floor. He didn’t seem mad, but rather a little sad. Makoto thought it would be best to apologize anyway.

“I’m sorry, Haru. I know you don’t like it,” Makoto said softly. Haru silently looked up to meet Makoto’s eyes, searching his peridot depths for some answer.

“…Do you, um, like…” Makoto waited patiently for Haru to get his words out, rubbing Haru’s back encouragingly. “Do you like Haruka?”

That was unexpected. Makoto was surprised Haru would ask that, and his face must have shown it, because Haru continued: “I mean the name.”

Makoto smiled and nodded, letting Haru knew he understood what he meant, and answered, saying “Of course I do. I think Haruka is a beautiful name.”

Now Haru was blushing, a gorgeous shade of pink dusting his cheeks. It only made Makoto smile even harder.

“When you say beautiful, you mean…,” Haru nervously inquired further.

“It just sounds beautiful. I think a lot of people think Haruka is beautiful.”

Haru let out the breath he was holding and laid his head on Makoto’s chest.

“…It sounds nice when you say it…,” Haru said so quietly Makoto barely heard it.

“Thank you,” Makoto said, kissing Haru on the head for the second time that night. “…So, does that mean I can call you Haruka from now on?”

“No.” Makoto could only laugh at Haru’s quick reply.

“Haru?”

“Hmmm?”

“What do you have against Haruka?”

Haru sighed and looked back up at Makoto. _Do I really have to explain?_

“Does it also sound too girly?”

“Yeah…”

“You know, I have a girly name too. I don’t think you should hate it because of that.”

“Makoto is different.”

“Hmm, I guess it’s true there are more boys named Makoto than there are boys named Haruka.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Huh? Then what do you mean?”

“…It’s meaning is better. Your name.”

Makoto understood. The name Makoto meant ‘sincere’, while Haruka meant ‘distant’.

“I don’t want to be called that,” Haru continued.

“Haru, your name doesn’t define you.”

Haru made a noncommittal sound.

“If you care so much about name meanings, then are you saying you prefer the meaning ‘spring’ more?” Makoto asked lightly.

“No.” Haru looked at Makoto’s face a little longer, then asked, “Why do want to call me Haruka?”

“Eh?” Makoto was caught off guard. Even he didn’t fully understand it.

“Umm, because it’s your name and it’s the name your parents gave you,” Makoto said, remembering what Nao-senpai had said to them in their first year of middle school in swim club.

Haru didn’t seem to be buying his explanation.

“Ah, actually,” Makoto continued. “You don’t mind when your parents call you Haruka. I used to think that was because they were your parents and you couldn’t tell them not to call you that. But then I thought, maybe it’s because they’re family, and so you don’t mind when they call you that.”

Makoto could tell that struck a chord within Haru. Makoto knew of Haru’s mother’s fondness for her son’s given name.

“Also, it’s what your grandmother used to call you,” Makoto said, but a little more tentatively. “I always loved the way your grandmother said your name. I thought it sounded so wonderful. And I always wished that one day I could say your name the way she did.”

Makoto had been carefully watching Haru’s face for any sign of distress, and when he finished, Haru just looked sad and on the verge of tears. Makoto tightened his embrace of Haru as Haru buried his face in Makoto’s chest.

“I’m sorry, Haru,” Makoto consoled. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Makoto heard a little sniffle, and then, “It’s okay. I know.”

They laid in silence, Makoto rubbing circles onto Haru’s back and switching between nuzzling and kissing Haru’s hair.

Makoto had never realized it before, but Haru only got really defensive of his given name being used after his grandmother died. Haru has never voiced how much he loved his grandmother, but Makoto knew she was one of the most important people in Haru’s life. The fact that he religiously tended her alter and always talked about things she used to say proved that he still thinks of her all the time. It was selfish for Makoto to want to mean as much to Haru as his grandmother means to him. He already knows he means a lot to Haru. Makoto still didn’t completely understand, but he wasn’t going to push it anymore. If Haru didn’t want to be called Haruka, for whatever reason, then Makoto would oblige.

“You…you can call me Haruka, if you want,” Haru said quietly. “But only when it’s just us.”

“Ah!” Makoto couldn’t believe his ears. “Really? Are you sure? Because it doesn’t matter to me!”

“No, it’s fine.”

Makoto thought about it a little.

“It’d be weird to call you Haruka after so long of calling you just Haru,” Makoto started. “So I’ll only call you Haruka when I’m filled to the brim with love for you.”

Haru’s face reddened and he buried his face impossibly further into Makoto’s chest.

“You don’t have to go that far…” came Haru’s muffled, embarrassed voice.

Makoto chuckled and started stroking Haru’s hair.

“My precious Haru…”

Haru squirmed, eliciting another laugh from Makoto.

“My adorable Haru-chan…”

Haru groaned, and Makoto softly laughed again.

“My beautiful Haruka…”

This time Haru leaned up and kissed Makoto. One would think it was out of affection, but Makoto knew Haru was also trying to shut him up. And it worked.

They exchanged small, tender kisses that were sweeter than anything Makoto had ever eaten in his life. Still embracing and wrapped in each other’s arms, they laid side by side, basking in the glow of their mutual bliss.

“Makoto,” Haru said, placing a hand on Makoto’s cheek and gazing into his eyes.

“Haru,” Makoto replied, returning the loving gaze.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make my name sound so nice.”

“Hmmm… I guess it’s because I really love Haru, and it shows in my voice.”

Haru smiled and sighed contentedly, a light blush covering his cheeks.

“I love you, Haruka.”

“I love you, Makoto.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry Haru-chan for making Makoto tease you so much! *worries about what my subconscious thinks of Makoto*
> 
> I realize I'm really bad at writing fluff and kisses etc., which is surprising considering how much fanfiction I consume (not that all of it is fluff hehe...)  
> I also hope I'm doing the characters justice and that they're not too OOC.
> 
> tell me what you think at http://stupidgayswimmers.tumblr.com/


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